Matthias strode down the main hall with a calm so unreal it almost felt staged. His movements stayed graceful, like nobody in this mansion had the faintest clue he'd just returned from a slaughterhouse of a battlefield, and now was about to face the Emperor himself, who'd come either to check on him or grill him for answers.
He stepped into the drawing room, the most charismatic chamber in the mansion, built solely to impress guests. Dark wood panels lined the walls, and a grand fireplace spilled out a warmth that felt artificial, like a diplomatic smile that never reached the eyes.
There, in the center of the room beside the sofa, stood Dietrich Maximillian, Emperor of Auristella, waiting.
